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With our social media timelines swamped with live videos, it’s hard not to notice the rise in its popularity. Here we’re going to guide you through the uses of live streaming, the best platforms and discuss if live video is right for your business.

Firstly, it’s important to say that live streaming isn’t for everyone. With any social media advancement, you should only use the tools that best suit you and your business. But that shouldn’t stop you experimenting.

Camera Shy

Don’t worry if you’re not the type to want to be in front of a camera. Live video doesn’t just have to be you talking to a camera. It can be anything from wandering around corporate events to a guided tour of your offices.

However, if you had your mind set on someone facing the camera then consider delegating this to one of your more outgoing team members.

Live Streaming Q&A Sessions

A current trend with live streaming is to get one of the team or the CEO themselves to host a live Q&A session. Preparation for this is vital.

In many cases, you’ll see a call out for questions a week or so before going live, either on social media or through a blog post, usually focused on a particular subject.

Having questions submitted beforehand gives you time to prepare the answers and get a feel for what your audience wants to talk about within the subject you have chosen. It also helps get the conversation started once you go live. Once engaged, people will then be able to submit their own questions while the live stream is going on.

TOP TIP: Don’t be afraid to create a few questions yourself to help keep the conversation on topic.

For live Q&A sessions, it’s highly recommended to have a couple of people on hand to manage the technical side of things, pick and ask questions from the comments on the live stream and give direction if needed.

Choosing the right platform

Choosing the right platform is always dependent on your audience. If you find you have the majority of your interaction and audience on Facebook then look into Facebook Live. Whereas if your Twitter following is strong and active then look at Periscope. If you have a good following on both platforms then try live streaming events on both separately and compare the engagement figures afterwards.

Highlights of Facebook Live and Periscope

Facebook Live:

Built directly into the Facebook App

Automatically notifies and broadcasts to your followers when you go live

Saves your live stream as a video on your page which can be shared later

Periscope (Twitter):

Broadcasts to both Twitter and the Periscope community

Saves live stream to your Periscope channel and Twitter account once done

Hashtags can be used in your live stream title which helps it be discovered on Twitter

Both Facebook Live and Periscope are available for anyone to use, not just business pages. Why not give both platforms ago yourself on your personal social media and see how you get on before moving it on to your business channels. Let us know how you get on in the comments.

If you’re not sure live streaming is for you but you’re interested in video content, then check out our guide to video hosting.

Are there any other live streaming services you use? What’s your experience with live video? Let us know in the comments.